Swimming training apparatus

ABSTRACT

A swimming training apparatus automatically adjusts a user&#39;s position at the water surface of a swimming pool according to the user&#39;s swimming conditions by a resilient component installed in a position adjusting device. The swimming training apparatus includes an arc support structure, a position adjusting device and a connecting element. When the user swims away from the swimming training apparatus, the pulling force produced by the swimming winds the drive gear to store resilience to the resilient component. The gear set drives two rollers to move the position adjusting device towards a pool side. When the user stops swimming, the resilient component releases the resilience so that the drive gear shortens the connecting element and moves the position adjusting device towards the original position. The invention enables users to swim at different distances within a safe range or flow safely on the water surface of the swimming pool.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a swimming training apparatus, and more particularly to a swimming training apparatus capable of automatically adjusting a swimmer's position at the water surface of a swimming pool by a resilient component installed in a position adjusting device according to the swimmer's swimming conditions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As to beginner swimmers, water creates unknown fear which becomes a major obstacle during their swimming learning process. For example, learners fear getting drowns in their practices, and the muscle of their body tends to be tense and rigid, and thus their body sinks very easily. Furthermore, learners also fear drinking water during their exchange for air, and thus learners usually do not fully finish their movements and thus they drink water more easily. To make learners to learn swimming successfully, it is necessary to assist the learners to float on the water surface and overcome the fear of water, so that they can manage to learn other movements.

In general, a traditional swimming training apparatus uses an arc arm integrally connected to a pool side, a position adjusting device disposed in the swimming training apparatus and an elastic rope to connect the position adjusting device with a user and adjust the position of the position adjusting device by a controller and a motor, so as to change the user's position at the water surface and allow the user to swim within a safe range.

The traditional swimming training apparatus requires the controller and motor to adjust the position of the position adjusting device. However, an electric shock may occur or even jeopardize the user's safety if these equipments are installed next to the swimming pool.

Therefore, finding a way of designing a swimming training apparatus, providing a safe use of the swimming training apparatus and automatically adjusting the user's position at the water surface of a swimming pool according to the user's swimming conditions demands immediate attentions and feasible solutions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing shortcomings of the traditional swimming training apparatus, the inventor of the present invention based on years of experience to conduct extensive researches and experiments, and finally developed a swimming training apparatus, in hope of providing a safe use of the swimming training apparatus and automatically adjusting the user's position at the water surface of a swimming pool according to the user's swimming conditions.

Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a swimming training apparatus capable for providing a safe use of the swimming training apparatus by a resilient component in a position adjusting device and automatically adjusting a user's position at the water surface of a swimming pool according to the user's swimming conditions.

To achieve the foregoing objective, the swimming training apparatus of the present invention comprises: an arc support structure disposed at a first end of the swimming pool, and an end higher than the water surface of the swimming pool is a second end; a position adjusting device installed at the arc support structure and including a resilient component and a drive mechanism, and the resilient component is installed at the drive mechanism; a connecting element with an end wound at the drive mechanism and another end worn by a user. When the user swims away from the swimming training apparatus, the connecting element is pulled to drive the drive mechanism to store resilience to the resilient component and move the position adjusting device towards the first end. When the user stops swimming, the resilient component releases the resilience, such that the drive mechanism shortens the connecting element and moves the position adjusting device towards the second end. Thus, the swimming training apparatus of the invention can provide a safe use and automatically adjust the user's position at the water surface of the swimming pool according to the user's swimming conditions.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a position adjusting device according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a position adjusting device before an arc support structure is installed according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a position adjusting device after an arc support structure is installed according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a front view of a position adjusting device after an arc support structure is installed according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a position adjusting device after an arc support structure is installed according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a resilient component before storing resilience according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a resilient component after storing resilience according to the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a third preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The above and other technical characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed taken with the accompanying drawings.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 8, a swimming training apparatus of the present invention comprises a position adjusting device 1, a connecting element 2 and an arc support structure 3. The position adjusting device 1 is installed in the arc support structure 3, and the position adjusting device 1 comprises a resilient component 14 and a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism comprises a casing 11, a drive gear 13, a gear set, two rollers 15 and two guide boards 17. The casing 11 has a fixing axle 12 disposed on a side in the casing 11, and a drive gear 13 pivotally coupled onto the fixing axle 12, and an end of the resilient component 14 is latched into the drive gear 13, and another end of the resilient component 14 is latched to the fixing axle 12, and the resilient component 14 could be a torque spring. The gear set includes two first gears 161, two second gears 162 and two third gears 163. On a lateral side of the casing 11, the drive gear 13 and a first gear 161 are engaged with the lateral side in the casing 11, and the first gear 161 and a second gear 162 are coaxially and pivotally coupled to the lateral side of the casing 11, and the second gear 162 disposed at the exterior of the lateral side of the casing 11, and the second gear 162 and a third gear 163 are engaged with the exterior of the lateral side of the casing 11, and the third gear 163 and a roller 15 are coaxially and pivotally coupled to the lateral side of the casing 11, and the roller 15 is disposed at the interior of the lateral side of the casing 11. Two rollers 15 are made of rubber, and another lateral side of the casing 11 similarly has an arc support structure 3 disposed at a first end of the pool side 5, and another end higher than the water level is the second end. The arc support structure 3 has three arc support stands 31, and the three arc support stands 31 can be extended or contracted with respect with each other to change the distance of the second end from the pool side 5 and the water surface of the swimming pool, and the second end is sealed by a cover 32 to prevent the position adjusting device 1 from falling out from that end. The arc support stand 31 at the outermost portion of the arc support structure 3 comprises two guiding grooves 312, and two guide boards 17 of the position adjusting device 1 are disposed in the two guiding grooves 312 respectively, such that the position adjusting device 1 is guided by the two guiding grooves 312 to move inside the arc support structure 3. Each of the three arc support stands 31 has an opening 311 disposed vertically on a cross section along the extending and contracting direction, and the three openings 311 are stacked towards the user.

The connecting element 2 comprises a rolling string 21, a cotton string 22 and a waist belt 23, and the rolling string 21 could be a steel rope, and the cotton string 22 could be an elastic rope. An end of the rolling string 21 is wound to the drive gear 13 of the position adjusting device i through the opening 311, and another end the rolling string 21 is coupled to an end of the cotton string 22, and another end of the cotton string 22 is coupled to the waist belt 23, and the waist belt 23 is worn by the user.

When an elementary user 4 is using the swimming training apparatus of the present invention, the arc support stand 31 of the arc support structure 3 is extended fully, and the position adjusting device 1 is disposed at the first end. If the user 4 wears the waist belt 23 at the user's waist, the connecting element 2 will be extended all the way to support the user 4 to float safely on the water surface of the swimming pool. If the user 4 swims away from the swimming training apparatus, the pulling force produced by the swimming will wind the rolling string 21 of the connecting element 2 to the drive gear 13 in a clockwise direction, so that the resilient component 14 stores the resilience. Since the drive gear 13 is engaged with the first gear 161, and the first gear 161 and the second gear 162 are coaxial, therefore both first gear 161 and second gear 162 can rotate counterclockwise. Since the second gear 162 is engaged with the third gear 163, and the third gear 163 and the roller 15 are coaxial, therefore both third gear 163 and roller 15 can rotate clockwise. In the meantime, the guide board 17 of the casing 11 is guided by the guiding groove 312 of the arc support structure 3, such that the position adjusting device 1 is moved towards the first end. If the user 4 stops swimming, the resilient component 14 will release the resilience, such that the drive gear 13 rotates counterclockwise to shorten the rolling string 21 of the connecting element 2, and the position adjusting device 1 moves towards the second end, and thus the user 4 can float safely on the water surface of the swimming pool. In the first embodiment, the elementary user 4 can swim freely in the safe range and float safely on the water surface of the swimming pool.

Referring to FIG. 9, when an intermediate user 4 uses the swimming training apparatus of the invention, the outermost portion of the arc support stand 31 of the arc support structure 3 is stored at the middle arc support stand 31, and the position adjusting device 1 is situated at the first end, such that when the user 4 wears a waist belt 23 at the user's waist, the distance of the second end of the arc support structure 3 from the water surface is shorter, and thus a portion of the connecting element 2 is loosened. When the user 4 swims away from the swimming training apparatus, the position adjusting device 1 is moved towards the first end. If the user 4 stops swimming, the position adjusting device 1 will be moved towards the second end. The second embodiment allows the intermediate user 4 to swim a longer distance freely within a safe range.

Referring to FIG. 10, when an advanced user 4 uses the swimming training apparatus of the present invention, the arc support stand 31 at the middle of the arc support structure 3 is stored in the arc support stand 31 at the pool side 5, and the position adjusting device 1 is situated at the first end. When the user 4 wears the waist belt 23 at the user's waist, the distance of the second end of the arc support structure 3 from the water surface is shorter, and thus more portions of the connecting element 2 are loosened. If the user 4 swims away from the swimming training apparatus, the position adjusting device 1 will be moved towards the first end. If the user 4 stops swimming, the position adjusting device 1 will be moved towards the second end. The third embodiment allows the advanced user 4 to swim the longest distance within a safe range.

In summation of the description above, the invention complies with the requirements of patent application, and thus duly filed for the application. In the present invention, the resilient component in the position adjusting device provides a safe use of the swimming training apparatus and automatically adjusts a user's position at the water surface of a swimming pool according to the user's swimming conditions, and thus products developed by the present invention can fully meet the current market requirements. 

1. A swimming training apparatus, comprising: an arc support structure, disposed at a first end of a swimming pool, and a second end of said swimming pool being higher than the water surface of said swimming pool; a position adjusting device, installed at said arc support structure, and including a resilient component and a drive mechanism, and said resilient component being installed at said drive mechanism; a connecting element, with an end wound to said drive mechanism and another end disposed at a user; when said user swims away from said swimming training apparatus, said connecting element is pulled to drive said drive mechanism, such that said resilient component stores a resilience, and said position adjusting device is moved towards said first end; when said user stops swimming, said resilient component releases the resilience, such that said drive mechanism shortens said connecting element, and said position adjusting device is moved towards said second end.
 2. The swimming training apparatus of claim 1, wherein said arc support structure comprises a plurality of arc support stands, and said arc support stands can be extended and contracted with respect with each other.
 3. The swimming training apparatus of claim 2, wherein said arc support stand has an opening disposed vertically on a cross section of said arc support stand and in a contracting direction, and these openings face said user, such that said drive mechanism coils an end of said connecting element from said opening.
 4. The swimming training apparatus of claim 1, wherein said connecting element includes a rolling string, a cotton string and a waist belt, and an end of said rolling string is coiled to said drive mechanism and another end of said rolling string is coupled to an end of said cotton string, and another end of said cotton string is coupled to said waist belt, and said waist belt is worn by a user.
 5. The swimming training apparatus of claim 4, wherein said rolling string is a steel rope.
 6. The swimming training apparatus of claim 4, wherein said cotton string is an elastic rope.
 7. The swimming training apparatus of claim 1, wherein said drive mechanism comprises a casing, a drive gear, a gear set, two rollers, and two guide boards, and said casing has a fixing axle, and said drive gear is pivotally coupled to said fixing axle, and an end of said resilient component is latched into said drive gear, and another end of said resilient component is latched to said fixing axle, and an end of said connecting element is wound to said drive gear, and said drive gear drives said two rollers by said gear set, and said two guide boards are disposed at two guide grooves of said arc support structure, such that said position adjusting device is guided by said two guide grooves.
 8. The swimming training apparatus of claim 7, wherein said two rollers are made of rubber.
 9. The swimming training apparatus of claim 1, wherein said resilient component is a torque spring. 